What Is It?
by NCISbinge
Summary: A conversation between Tony and Ziva leads to an unexpected outcome...


**What Is It?**

'I'd die for you, that's easy to say...'

 _\- Ride, Twenty One Pilots._

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 **Life is already shit, and it's about to get worse. So why not write fanfics to distract myself? ;)**

 **Set: Around season eight.**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I owned NCIS, but wishes don't tend to come true...**

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DiNozzo stood at the window of the bullpen with his hands in his pockets, staring down at Ziva and Ray. It was the team's lunch break, and Ziva had left abruptly. She'd gone to get food with Ray. Mr Ray Cruz. It wasn't that Tony was jealous – of course not. Why would he be?

"You're allowed out you know..." Gibbs quipped as he walked into the bullpen with a bagel and a large coffee. DiNozzo turned around, broken out of his state of mind.

"Huh?"

"I said you're allowed out. You don't have to stare out of the window."

DiNozzo chuckled falsely and walked back over to his desk. Just as he sat down, Gibbs left again. A few minutes passed and Ziva returned.

Ziva sat down, taking her coat off and logging back into her computer. DiNozzo stared at her curiously.

"What is it?" He questioned randomly.

"Excuse me?" She looked up in complete confusion.

"What is it about him?"

"Who?"

"Mr Lover Boy."

"You mean Ray, yes?" She finally realised who he was on about.

"Yeah." He answered back, quieter than before.

"Well, he's funny, polite, generous, a gentleman. But that's irrelevant, why are you asking?" Ziva raised her eyebrows to the man sitting at the desk opposite.

"No reason." DiNozzo trailed off, wishing he'd never started the conversation.

"Are you jealous?" Her mouth turned into a mocking smile as she questioned her partner.

DiNozzo's head shot up to make eye contact with her. "I'm sorry, did I hear that right? Did you just ask me if I was jealous of CIRay?" DiNozzo asked in a mocking tone.

"There's nothing wrong with being jealous, Tony. It's a natural feeling for humans. I understand."

"No, no, no. What you need to understand is that I'm _definitely_ not jealous of Ray."

But really, DiNozzo _was_ jealous of Ray. Everyone saw it. Gibbs saw the look of hurt in DiNozzo's eyes every time Ziva left for lunch or mentioned Ray. McGee saw him glancing over at her even more than usual. And most of all, Abby saw it. She saw the hurt in his expression whenever he visited her lab, when Ziva's name was mentioned or when she would catch him zoning out to think about her. DiNozzo was jealous of Ray because he got to wake up to her, he got to spend time with her, he had the overall pleasure of _having_ Ziva.

"If you say so..." She challenged and went back to typing.

"David!" Tony warned, but all she did was shoot him a devious smile.

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Once again, Tony and Ziva were the last ones in the office. Ziva had told Gibbs she was staying to complete some paperwork, and DiNozzo used the same excuse. The truth was that he just wanted some time with Ziva, even if it was in the bullpen when everyone had gone home.

"You know, you say he's all those things. But he never tells you what he's up to, he stood you up the other night, he makes empty promises. He's hurting you, Ziva. You may not see it, but I do. And you can call me jealous all you want but this is me caring for you. I saw the anger and disappointment in your eyes when you told me about those things."

"The good outweighs the bad, yes?" Ziva replied shyly. She knew Ray wasn't good for her. He may have been all the things she told Tony, but he was a lot of other things too. Bad things.

"From what I see, it doesn't. Ziva, you're clearly not happy with him. I can see it in your face."

"Who are _you_ to tell _me_ whether I am happy with him or not? You sleep with any woman you can get because you're too afraid to commit. I think you're the one who's not happy." Ziva snapped at him. She knew he was right, but she didn't want him thinking that he could see through her so easily. She may not have been happy with Ray but she could never have Tony, so it was her only option. Her only way of somewhat trying to move on from her feelings for him. DiNozzo sat speechless for a few moments before retaliating.

"Wow, that was a low blow. Why are you getting so defensive? I'm just stating the obvious. Everyone sees it. Whenever you mention him, it's never anything good. It's nothing like 'Oh, he surprised me with flowers or he cooked my favourite meal from scratch'. You should be treated better, Ziva. I guess you probably hate me now, so I'm going to leave." He turned his computer off and stood up to grab his gear.

"I told myself I'd move on..." She blurted out. He stopped in his tracks and walked round to the front of his desk, perching on the edge of it.

"Move on?" His tone full of confusion.

"Yes." She didn't bother elaborating. If he wanted to know more, he'd have to work for it.

"Move on from what?" He realised that she wasn't going to give it up easily.

"You mean 'who?'"

"Who then?"

"I can't say. There's no point anyway. Nothing will come of it."

"Do this person know how you feel?" DiNozzo was completely oblivious to who it could be.

"No, I don't think so. They wouldn't be interested in me anyway. It's not like I have anything to offer."

"Well first off, you'll never know how they feel if you don't talk to them. And hey!" She looked up at him with a saddened glare.

"You have so much to offer. You may be slightly crazy but you're funny, extremely clever, really thoughtful, so beautiful..." DiNozzo suddenly stopped when he realised how carried away he'd got.

She looked up at him with complete surprise to what he'd just said. She blushed when she realised that maybe he _did_ feel the same way as her.

"Err, sorry. I got a bit carried away. I should probably get going." He stood off his desk and went to grab his gear.

"DiNozzo..." Ziva called out. He turned around to face her.

"I told myself I'd move on..." She took a deep breath in order to prepare herself for the repercussions of what she was about to admit. "from you." DiNozzo had to take a few seconds to register the string of words that just came from Ziva's mouth.

" _Me_? You needed to move on from _me_?" All he had was questions at this moment.

"A while ago, I found myself falling for you. I decided that's just how we were with each other; flirty and suggestive. I didn't think anything would come of it with my feelings. It was just how we acted around each other. It was who we were. But then I found myself craving time with you or to hear your stupid movie references. I knew nothing could come of us. So I forced myself to move on. I don't care that I'm not happy with Ray because it's a small distraction from you. Of course, I think of you when I'm kissing him, or when I'm eating lunch with him, or when he tells me he loves me. It's you. You are always on my mind, and nothing can stop it. There's no denying it anymore. So...there you go."

Tony stood with his mouth slightly open in the shock that Ziva had _actually_ just said that. And the fact that she felt that way.

He walked round to her desk, placed his palm on the side of her face and kissed her deeply...

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 **You probably hate me for the ending but oh well! I'm having major writers block for the sequel to 'An Unfamiliar Voice' but there shall be one eventually. Remember, you're all INCREDIBLE! Don't forget it!**


End file.
